Safe House (2012)

Ryan Reynolds plays a young CIA agent who sits day after day guarding a safe house waiting for a guest or prisoner to turn up. That day finally comes when an ex CIA fugitive played by Denzel Washington, hands himself in and is taken to the safe house. The Safe house is then attacked and it is Reynolds duty to look after his house guest.

The film is one long cat and mouse chase taking place through South Africa. Washington is constantly trying to escape being looked after by Reynolds while at the same time they are both trying to avoid being killed by a group of people chasing them. How was the Safe House hit so easily and quickly? Is it possible someone is working from the inside trying to stop them?

Denzel, being his usual cool yet arrogant character, plays the bad guy being a good guy being a bad guy whereas Ryan is the good guy trying not to be a bad guy and wanting to be the best. There is a story here which is relatively easy to follow all while watching the gun battles that take place adding to the multiple action scenes. The film has a grainy urban feel to it but seemed to lack that final push to make it great. I would recommend this film to fans of Denzel but perhaps not at the cinema.

Film Fact

Denzel Washington actually was water-boarded during the filming of some of the torture scene, though only for a few seconds per take